social PAT

What does the federal branch do

Deals with issues involving the entire country

What is the federal branch in charge of

National defence, currency & banking, immigration & citizenship, criminal law

What does the provincial/territorial branch do

Manage issues specific too each province of territory

What is the provincial branch in charge of

Healthcare, education, highways and transportation, provincial parks

What does the Municipal (local) branch do

Addresses the needs and services of local communities

What is the municipal branch in charge of

Fire & police services, public transit, garbage collection, local parks and recreation

What are the 3 pillars of power

The senate, the House of Commons, parliament

What is parliament and what does it do

Canadas supreme legislative authority, parliament includes the sovereign, senate, and the House of Commons, its main role is to make & amend federal laws

What is the House of Commons and what does it do

The elected chamber, which has 338 MPs representing their constituencies. Most legislation, including financial bills, starts here, reflecting the will of Canadian citizens

What is the senate and what does it do

An appointed body of 105 members, the senate reviews legislation from the House of Commons, proposing amendments and representing regional interests

Who is the ultimate source of power

The voters

What does the legislative branch include

House of Commons & senate

What does the legislative branch do

Makes the laws

What does the executive branch include

Prime minister and cabinet

What does the executive branch do

Implements the laws

What does the judicial branch include

Courts and judges

• What does the judicial branch do

Interprets laws (they are the courts)

What are the steps of going from an idea to a law

idea, first reading, second reading, committee stage, third reading, passed House of Commons, senate review, royal assent

Idea (idea to law)

A proposal for a new legislation is born

First reading (idea to law)

Bill is introduced and printed

Second reading (idea to law)

MPs debate the principle of the bill

Committee stage (idea to law)

Expert input and citizen testimony

Third reading (idea to law)

Final reading in the house

Passed House of Commons (idea to law)

Bill moves to the upper chamber

Senate review (idea to law)

“Sober second thought - Checking for errors and improvements

Royal assent (idea to law)

Governor general signs the bill into a law

What is the judicial branch a “guardian” of

Our rights

The constitution

Canada’s fundamental law that establishes the framework of the government

What does the Charter of Rights and Freedoms do

Protects individual rights and freedoms of all Canadians

Supreme Court

Final interpreter of laws & guardian of constitutional rights

The federal cabinet

The engine that drives daily governance and policy direction, where key decisions are made

Who is the federal cabinet led by

The Prime Minister

Who is involved in the federal cabinet

Policy & Administration, Party Loyalty, Cabinet Ministers, Prime Minister

Arty

What does policy & administration do

Develops and implements policies

What does party loyalty do

Ministers publicly support decisions

What do cabinet ministers do

advises prime minister

Treaties

Foundational agreements between Indigenous nations and the crown that predates many Canadian Laws

The Indian Act

A federal law that has historically controlled the rights of Indigenous peoples

Self Government

The inherent right of indigenous peoples to govern themselves

How many seats does a single party require to be a majority government

170+ seats

What is a majority government good for

It allows them to pass laws easier

How many seats are there in elections

338

When does a minority government occur

When no s8ngke party wins enough seats

What does having a minority government require

That the ruling party will need to seek support from other parties

Who are the influencers of government

Political parties, Media, Lobbylists

Political parties

Organized groups with shared ideologies that compete for power & influence party direction through their platforms & candidates

Media

Journalists & news organizations that inform the public, investigate government actions, and hold politicians accountable

Lobbylists

Professional advocates who represent various interests and try to influence government decisions & policy-making

The official opposition

The party with the second-most seats challenges the government, scrutinizes politics, and holds it accountable

Party discipline

MPs from the same party are generally expected to vote together, ensuring a united from5 but l8mit8ng individual MPs independence

What does parliament have right now

Strict party discipline, time allocation, omnibus bills

Strict party discipline

MPs are required to vote with their party, limiting independent thought & debate

Time allocation

The government frequently shuts down debate to speed up legislation process

Omnibus bills

Massive bills combining multiple unrelated issues, making proper scrutiny possible

Who are cabinet ministers appointed by

They are appointed by the prime minister and head departments

Who are senators appointed by

All appointed by prime minister

Who are government bodies appointed by

Heads of major agencies chosen by prime minister

who are Supreme Court judges appointed by

Selected & appointed by prime minister

What should party leaders sign for MPs to run for the party whip system

nomination papers

What does the party whip system create

A uniquely servile relationship between MPs and leaders

What would MPs risk losing if they vote against the party

Candidacy

Institutionalized minority rule

Parties can win 100% of the power with less then 40% of the votes

Unequal vote values

Vast differences in riding populations mean some votes are worth a lot more than others

What is citizens role in democracy

Vote, contact representatives, stay informed, get involved

What helps citizens in democracy

Having an MP for your riding, the charter of rights and freedoms, committee stages, independent judiciary

What harms citizens in democracy

Strict party discipline, an unfair election system, popular PM power, unelected senate

Member of parliament

Is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district

When was the pay equity case

2003

What was the pay equity case

Women and unions challenged the Ontario government for unequal pay

What was used for the pay equity case

The charter

How did the pay equity case end

The women won the case, Ontario had to make $414 million in pay adjustments

How does the pay equity case relate to the charter

Shows how the charter protects equality rights and helps fix discrimination

What was the mandatory retirement case

A university of Alberta professor was forced to retire at the age of 65

What was the discrimination for in the mandatory retirement case

Age discrimination

What happened after the mandatory retirement case

She lost her individual case but the case did spark up national debate

How did the mandatory retirement case end up today

Alberta eventually made it illegal for employers to force retirement based on age

How does the mandatory retirement case relate to the charter

Demonstrates how charter challenges can change laws even if the person loses

What was the purpose of the war measures act

Have the federal government extreme powers during wartime, including the ability to ignore certain civilian rights

What was going on during WW1

Ukrainian and German Canadians targeted, over 8000 people arrested and forced into labour camps

What was going on during WW2

Japanese Canadians targeted, over 20000 were sent to internment camps, their property was taken by the government

How did the world wars affect the later starting charter

Shows how before the charter existed, the government could violate rights without limits during emergencies

When was the October crisis

1970

What was the October crisis

FLQ terrorist group kidnapped political figures in Quebec

What did the government do during the October crisis

Prime minister Pierre Trudeau used the war measures act during a non wartime crisis, the first and only time this happened domestically

What were the consequences of the October crisis

Civil liberties were suspended, police could arrest and detain people without warrants, many innocent people were jailed

What was the importance of the October crisis

Highlighted the dangers of giving government too much emergency power, helped lead to the creation of the charter of rights and freedoms

When was the charter of rights and freedoms made

1982

What are the 5 key rights

Mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights, fundamental freedoms, democratic rights

What are fundamental freedoms

Freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of religion, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association

What is freedom of peaceful assembly

Protesting

What is freedom of association

Joining any group

What are democratic rights

The right for every Canadian to vote in elections, also ensures that we must have an election every 5 years

What are mobility rights

The right for citizens to enter, stay in, or leave Canada, it also includes the right to move and work in any province

What are legal rights

These are the rights when you deal with the police and the justice system. Innocent until proven guilty, right to fair and quick trial, protects you from unreasonable search and seizure.

What are equality rights

The right to be free of discrimination by the government, applies to any race, religion, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

Why does the charter matter

The charter exists to prevent the kinds of injustices that happened in Canadian history. Before the charter was signed in 1982, governments passed many discriminatory laws.

What and when was the Indian act

1876, this act controlled First Nations lives without their consent, banning ceremonies and political action.

What was the main reason for women’s suffrage

Women were barred from voting in federal elections until 1918

What is the charter of rights and freedoms

The rulebook for the government, it sets rules for how all levels of government must treat you

What is the charters main job

To protect your individual rights and freedoms from being unfairly limited by the government